Some pet owners thing that having bad breath is completely normal for an animal, when it is actually far from so – if your cat’s breath smells bad, this can sometimes be the sign of various underlying symptoms. Yes, a cat’s breath isn’t supposed to be perfectly fresh either, but if it’s noticeably bad then there’s definitely something wrong going on.
In most cases, bad breath is the result of an increased level of bacteria that produce odors in the mouth of the pet. This can occur as the result of a gum disease – there are some cats that are especially prone to such problems and should be cared for very carefully to keep their health in balance.
Sometimes, the owner of the cat would think that leaving the problem alone would make it go away in due time – but that’s far from true when it comes to bad breath issues, especially if the underlying cause is related to a developing disease. You must brush your cat’s teeth regularly, otherwise you risk developing plaque that sticks to its teeth and damages them over time. The cat’s gums will also start swelling and may contract gingivitis, all in all damaging the animal’s health very severely, and in some cases irreversibly.
You may have to change your habits a bit if you’re having trouble getting to brush your cat’s teeth properly though. You need to be gentle and never try to force the animal into it – apply the toothpaste on the inside of the cat’s mouth gently, you can even use your finger for this; after the cat has become accustomed to the taste and feeling of the gel, you can try using a toothbrush, but make sure you buy one with extremely fine hairs and rub it very, very gently.
Occasionally though, your cat may just get bad breath out of nowhere and for no good reason – and as long as it’s not a repeated occurrence it’s nothing to worry about. Sometimes the reason is as simple as the cat’s last meal and its contents – you can’t really expect your cat to not have a bad breath after a meal of smelly tuna fish, so remember what you’re giving it and you should be able to pinpoint the source of bad breath if it lies in the food you’ve been giving your cat.